


Stop Dragon My Heart Around

by 27dragons, tisfan



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Magic, Blow Jobs, But with dragons, Crack Treated Seriously, Cultural Differences, Dragon & Human Interactions, First Time Blow Jobs, Found Family, Human Sacrifice, Inappropriate Behavior, Lingerie, M/M, The Author Regrets Nothing, Tony Adopts Everyone, dragons don't have lips, it takes a village, or everyone adopts Tony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:20:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25698706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/27dragons/pseuds/27dragons, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tisfan/pseuds/tisfan
Summary: Bucky is left as a sacrifice to the great dragon who has invaded Hydra territory.Tony's... not sure what to do with that. Sacrifices are a giant pain in the tail...
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 159
Kudos: 489
Collections: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, StarkBucksBingo2020, Tony Stark Flash Bingo





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So we smashed a LOT of bingos into this...
> 
> Tisfan  
> Tony Stark Flash Bingo, August: Fantasy AU  
> StarkBucks Bingo - N4: Meet ugly  
> Bucky Barnes Bingo - K4: Meet Ugly
> 
> 27Dragons Tony Stark Flash Bingo, August: Fantasy AU  
> StarkBucks Bingo N4 - “I am under no obligation to make sense to you”  
> Bucky Barnes Bingo B2 - “Are you even trying?”

Gods, it was hot. The sun beat down on Bucky’s shoulders and head. He would have been sweating, had been sweating, except that he also hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since the previous night.

When the village elders had decided to randomly select someone for sacrifice and Bucky’s name had come out of the barrel, he’d thought he had bigger things to worry about aside from sunburn and dehydration.

Shows what he knew.

The soldiers had dragged him to Sacrifice Rock, chained him in place, and fled back to the village as fast as their feet could carry them. Bucky didn’t blame them; not entirely. Well, okay, maybe he did. But it didn’t matter. He’d never see _them_ again.

On the other hand, if he didn’t see the dragon sometime soon, his sacrifice was going to be for nothing. Dragons didn’t take _corpses_. 

Bucky didn’t like to think about why that was the case, but at least being eaten or burned at the stake would take less time than dying of thirst.

A rustle and a sudden breeze was all the warning he got; the dragon flew directly overhead, circled the rock twice, and then landed heavily on the wide, flat area in front of the rock. It looked smaller with the dragon standing on it. A _lot_ smaller.

The dragon was enormous, bigger than any building Bucky had ever seen, with bright red scales that had a golden sheen to them. Its neck was long and sinuous, the snout narrow and tapering and showing off a disturbing number of teeth that looked extremely sharp, some of them as long as Bucky’s hand.

It was terrifying, and at the same time breathtakingly beautiful.

It eyed Bucky for a moment, and Bucky tried to brace himself for whatever was coming, being bitten or raked with those claws or roasted alive.

“Not again,” the dragon rumbled, sounding distinctly annoyed. “What the Shards am I supposed to do with you?”

That... was not what Bucky had expected.

Bucky tried to moisten his mouth in order to talk -- his lips were chapped and the inside of his mouth felt like someone had fed him dust -- “Gods, you’re _beautiful_.” Not what he’d meant to say, either, but his brain was gibbering back and forth between terror and relief that everything would finally be over. 

“So are you,” the dragon said. “How long have you been out here? You look sunburned.”

“Morning,” Bucky managed. He hitched in a breath and coughed, chest aching. Which didn’t count the entire night spent in the town’s drunk-tank so he didn’t run for it. It could have been worse; Rumlow had wanted to put him in the stocks for his last night, but the elders decided that giving over damaged goods might bring the dragon’s wrath down on them.

The dragon huffed, which made a puff of flame jet from its nostrils. Bucky could feel the heat of it, like standing just a little too close to the fire, but it didn’t burn him. That long neck stretched out and the dragon looked him over closely, twisting around to check the back as well. “Chains,” it said disgustedly. “I can’t open these like this. Well, not without hurting you.”

Bucky managed to raise his chin. “Didn’t think it mattered,” he said. “They didn’t dare use rope; there’s no knot someone can tie that I can’t get out of.” He coughed again, and he was pretty sure his lip was bleeding. Words were a lot of effort; why didn’t anyone tell him that dragons engaged in pre-dinner conversation?

“That sounds interesting,” the dragon said. It reared back on its hind legs, wings stretching wide, and... shrank? It was definitely shrinking, the wings pulling in and disappearing and the scales turning from red to pink to pale peach and the dragon was. Was a man.

A very naked man. A very naked, very _beautiful_ man. “That’s better,” he said. He walked around behind Bucky and began to do something that involved tugging lightly at the chains. “So, honest lottery or were you on someone’s shitlist?”

“Shitlist,” Bucky admitted. The lottery was supposed to be a random chance, but he and a few others had exchanged looks -- still loyal to the previous Leader, they’d resigned their commissions, hoping to live peacefully on their pensions. He should have known better. Bucky squirmed, not sure if he was trying to look at the dragon-man, or trying _not_ to look.

The chains fell away. “Come on,” the dragon-man said. “You need to be out of the sun. And probably have some supper. Can you walk?”

Bucky almost fell, using the post to support himself. Hands free, nothing but the dragon between him and-- some dubious sort of freedom. He laughed, a bitter choking sound. He’d once been marched through six miles of some of the worst undergrowth he’d ever seen, with a sprained ankle, and then fought in a castle-onslaught. Well, was he a soldier or not? The promise of supper sounded like the murdering bit of this activity was at least being put off for a while, and that was a better offer than he’d had in a while.

Trading Hail Hydra for Deify Dragon? Bucky couldn’t seem to stop laughing, although it was coming out in fits and snorts, little half-whining breaths. 

_Get a hold of yourself, soldier._

He forced himself upright, ran a hand through his sweaty, tangled hair and ended with a squeeze at the nape of his neck, right where the worst of the sunburn was. The pain was instant and tremendous, killing off the laughter. Bucky blinked away black spots, swayed gently for a moment and wondered if he was actually going to _pass out_. “I can walk, sir,” he said.

For a while, that might even be true.

“Sir,” the dragon scoffed. “Call me Tony.” He slipped an arm around Bucky’s waist -- in this shape, he was actually shorter than Bucky, and felt mostly like a normal human, though his skin was a little warmer to touch than a human’s, and this close, his pupils were slitted, the irises shot through with golden flecks. He was stronger than he looked, too, easily taking most of Bucky’s weight as he led the way off the rock, through a stand of trees -- it was a relief just to get the sun off his head -- and then into a crevice in the side of the mountain.

“How--” Bucky all but bit his tongue trying not to ask stupid questions. The dragon -- Tony -- didn’t seem in any great hurry to eat him, but probably better not to annoy a dragon.

“Why is it always a human sacrifice?” Tony complained, apparently to himself. “They couldn’t send me a nice, fat sheep, or some goats? A cow, even, I haven’t had beef in ages.” The crevice became a narrow hallway, and then opened up into a vast cavern that certainly looked like Bucky might have imagined a dragon’s lair would look, a house-sized mountain of gold, scorch-marks on the walls, pieces of armor scattered on the floor. A half-dozen globes the size of Bucky’s head hovered in the air, well out of reach, emitting a gentle glow.

“Convenience,” Bucky said. “Herdsman might expect the elders to pay for a herd of sheep.” He stared around, trying to calculate how many cows the dragon might be able to buy with that stack of gold. Might as well get it over with -- knowing was always, always better than wondering. “Do you… eat humans?”

“Not as a rule,” Tony said. “Too stringy. Not much meat. I’ve made the odd exception--” He waved at the scattered pieces of armor. “--but it’s bad form to eat sentients, unless they’re trying to kill you.” At the back of the cavern was a little stream. Bucky could hear the babble of the water even before he smelled it, fresh and clear. Tony took him straight to it, thank the gods. “Here, have a drink, and I’ll find you something to eat.”

If Bucky fell more than knelt by the water, no one was going to comment. He cupped his hands. _Drink slow, idiot._ While there were many, many things on the bottom of his list of “dumb things to do while in a dragon’s cave” getting water sickness and puking was probably on there somewhere.

The water was cold, clear. Grit-free, and tasted just a little bit metallic, like water that had been sitting in a copper kettle. He drank, listened to his stomach gurgle. Turned to see what the dragon was doing -- aside from walking around naked, which was really damn distracting. Waited to see if his stomach was going to accept the gift of water.

Finally, he decided it was safe to drink more. 

The water flowed, apparently, from a little waterfall on one side of the cavern, and out the other end. Possible escape route, his brain said, but--

“What the hell would I be escaping back to,” he wondered.

“They’d kill you,” Tony said, matter-of-factly. “For endangering the town by incurring my wrath or some such bullshit.” He was rummaging in a trunk. “Where is... Aha!” He pulled out a length of... some kind of cloth, thin and pale. A shirt, maybe? He wrestled it on and turned around, and Bucky nearly choked on the spit he was finally able to summon again.

Tony was wearing a _negligee_ , flimsy and decorated with lace panels that left nothing to the imagination. The sort of thing a woman might wear on her wedding night.

“That’s better, right?” Tony said. “Humans like clothes.”

Not that Bucky could _complain_ , not exactly. For one thing, Tony looked amazingly… appealing in the lace. Which brought Bucky to the other problem; he was wearing a damn loincloth and nothing else. His body, which had come to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to die in the near future, wanted to celebrate that extended life with-- well, it was no secret that near death experiences tended to make a man randy. Which Tony would _notice_ , if Bucky so much as stood up.

“Uh… that’s. Special occasion clothes,” he spluttered.

“This is a special occasion!” Tony said brightly. He made his way through the cavern to a little nook where there was what looked like a camp stove. He pointed at it and the kindling under it burst into flame. On the far side of the fire was a neatly-stacked pile of blankets.

“Is it?” Bucky wondered. He turned back to the stream and splashed his face and chest with icy water, which mostly helped get rid of his most urgent problem. “So, uh, if I got this straight, I don’t try to kill you--” as if he could with no weapons or armor, and based on the number of discarded helms, it wouldn’t help much anyway “--you won’t eat me. That’s the deal?”

“Yes,” Tony said. “I’ll be leaving in a day or two for one of my other nests, since they’ve reached the point of sacrificing people to me here. I can take you with me, if you like. Set you down halfway down the mountain and you can tell the people in the village there that you escaped. That’s always good for a solid start, everyone’s very impressed and sympathetic.”

“Oh.” Why was Bucky _disappointed_? He pushed away from the bank of the creek, plucking up a stray gold sovereign from the ground. He turned the coin absently in his hand, letting it dance over his knuckles. Now you see it, now you don’t. “Is that what happens to all your sacrifices? You just let them go? Seems like you’re getting short changed there.”

“Not all of them,” Tony admitted. “Depends on how rude they are. Or how interesting.” He was watching the coin flickering over Bucky’s knuckles. “Sometimes I keep them for a while to serve me. Teach me things I don’t know about humans, or go off into the woods to hunt -- deer are _delicious_ but hard to catch -- or run errands for me. But eventually I let them go. Not back to their own villages, but somewhere else.”

“I can’t imagine someone being stupid enough to be rude to a dragon,” Bucky said, although privately he admitted Rumlow would already be swearing and blustering. That man was going to get himself killed one day. “I can hunt deer. Or--” he disappeared the coin again before flashing it at Tony from the other hand “-- one of these will buy at least three cows.”

“Trying to kill me is very rude,” Tony pointed out. “Also, trying to steal from me. Why would I give gold _back_ to the humans when I worked so hard to get it in the first place?”

“Because they are taking care of the cow? I’m just saying, that’s how the system works. What do you use gold for, if you’re not spendin’ it?” Whatever Tony was cooking over there smelled good. Some sort of grain and lentil porridge, maybe.

“Humans,” Tony scoffed. “Trading something around they don’t even have a _use_ for. We _eat_ it,” he informed Bucky. “We get sick if we don’t have some, every so often. Also, you can’t hatch an egg without gold, but I’m not nesting, so I don’t need it for that. At least not right now.” 

“You eat it?” Bucky almost dropped the coin in his shock. “No wonder the dwarves _hate_ you. You’re like the reptile version of a plague of locusts.”

“We tried making treaties with the dwarves,” Tony said. “They could have the stone and silver and gems and all the other ores. We just needed the gold. They can’t even build anything interesting with it! It won’t support the weight!” He sighed and stirred the pot. “But they’re greedy things, even more than humans.” He shot Bucky a look. “What are locusts?”

“Insects,” Bucky said. “They come in giant clouds and strip the grain fields bare in _seconds_. They’re bottomless little pits. We had two plagues one summer; by the end of the winter, we were eating tree bark to stay alive.” Which was how Pierce and his Hydra cult had taken over the village; Hydra had grain stores. Hungry people would agree to _anything_.

“I am not an _insect_ ,” Tony said indignantly. “You don’t _need_ the gold!” He scooped the porridge into a wooden bowl and set it on the floor. “Here.” He gave Bucky another look, something that was close to a glare, and then stalked off toward the far side of the cavern, the negligee flapping around his legs.

Bucky sighed. He grabbed the bowl and crossed to Tony's side. "I'm sorry for insulting you. I didn't mean to make an unfavorable comparison. I… look, you're my host, it's only fit that we eat _together_." He offered Tony the sovereign.

Tony took the coin and looked at Bucky through narrowed eyes. “Are you really sorry, or are you just worried I’m going to eat you?”

"You said you wouldn't," Bucky said. "I'll take you on your honor until you demonstrate you have none. And I'll give you no reason to question mine."

Tony eyed him a moment longer, then nodded. “All right. Apology accepted.” He took a bite out of the coin as if it were a slice of bread. “You should eat.”

Bucky held his hand over the bowl for a moment, asking for a blessing from the gods to protect him, grant him wisdom, and forgive him his sins. He was a little more devout than usual, but he was probably deep in debt to the gods today, all things considered. "Wisdom, patience, serenity. Verily."

“Does that make it taste better?” Tony wondered.

"The gods have graced me with another day, a meal, and possibly a friend," Bucky said, hesitantly. "Should I not thank them?"

Tony looked startled. “A friend?” He looked around the cavern. “ _Me?_ ”

"Surely it's not unthinkable?" Bucky couldn't help himself, he had often been called ridiculously charming, the sort to make friends in every gathering. "In which case, I've been horribly remiss. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is James Barnes, but my friends call me Bucky. At your service."

“Bucky,” Tony said thoughtfully. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a friend before.”

"Really? Who gave you this little thing?" Bucky flapped his hand at the nightie. 

“One of my sacrifices was wearing it,” Tony said. “She didn’t want it anymore.”

Bucky imagined not. It looked like the sort of thing that would be made, lovingly, in hope for love. To see it-- Bucky swallowed suddenly, thinking of the equally ridiculous outfit he was in. “Do you think--” He could feel his face burning with sudden embarrassment. “Uh. I mean, it’s just--” He trailed off helplessly, not quite knowing how to ask. “Is there something else you might do with your sacrifices? I mean, this is just--” He waved a hand at himself, trying to say it without actually saying it. “Seems a little much.”

Tony’s head cocked to the side. “Are you asked whether I might mate with my sacrifices? Some of the others have asked that, as well.”

“Well, _look_ at me,” Bucky spluttered, gesturing at himself. “And that little bit of temptation you’re wearing. Someone must think that’s what you do--” He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than getting eaten. Probably better if Tony stayed in a human form and wasn’t too violent about it, but the-- “The plumbing _does not_ match up when you’re a dragon.”

“How do you know? Have you ever seen dragons mate?” Tony grinned. “I mean, you’re right, but-- well.” He looked down at his nightdress. “Temptation? This is tempting?”

“You have _no idea_ ,” Bucky said. He must have a death wish -- or some _other_ sort of wish -- to be half-flirting with a dragon. “You look… well, a little too knowing to be a blushing bride. Some sort of secret sin.” 

Tony frowned a little. “I thought sin was bad.”

“The gods gave us liquor and loving because they love us and want us to be happy,” Bucky quoted one of his friends. “Mating-- between consenting adults-- isn’t wrong. But we still feel guilty about it sometimes. Seems like nothing that feels so good should be allowed. Humans are weird.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Tony nibbled at the remains of the coin, frowning in confusion.

“I’m under no obligation to make sense to you. I mean, I know, it’s what it is,” Bucky admitted. “Can’t help it. I see you lookin’ like that, wearin’ that-- and I think _I shouldn’t want_ \-- but I do, so there it is.”

“...You do?” Tony stared at him in surprise. “None of my other sacrifices ever said that.”

“My mouth gets me in trouble,” Bucky said. “With shocking regularity. Probably why they gave me to you in the first place. At least if I annoy you, you can just--” he made a whoosh noise, indicating Tony could breathe fire all over him. “They’re probably _counting_ on it.”

“I don’t want to do that,” Tony said. “You’re more interesting than any of my other sacrifices have been. Anyway, I wouldn’t, even if you were annoying me. I promised.”

“Honestly, I don’t even get it,” Bucky said, scraping the last bit of porridge out of his bowl. “You seem nice and reasonable and not really particularly terrifying. Why do you get sacrifices anyway? Did you ever stomp into a village somewhere and burn it all down? I didn’t even know we had a dragon nearby. You’d think people would have _noticed_ you, great big as a barn as you are, flapping around.”

Tony shrugged. “I mean, not all dragons are as tolerant of humans as I am,” he said. “So we have a reputation. Also, I’ve been known to steal sheep,” he admitted. “They get very cranky about that. It’s why I have multiple nests. As soon as they realize I’m there, they either send up a sacrifice or a knight.”

“I can see that,” Bucky admitted. “A hunting dragon can run a few weeks of feed off a herd of sheep, the stupid things. And a sacrifice is one less mouth to feed in the village. If you go away as soon as they send one or the other--” Bucky sighed. “What you need is your own herd of sheep. Problem solved. Unless, you know, you plan to keep relocating everyone around the countryside.”

“If I had a herd of sheep, I’d need someone to take care of it for me,” Tony pointed out. “Sheep are dumb, but they know what I am, even in this shape. Which means I’d need to find someone to stay with me.”

Bucky waggled the spoon at him. “Don’t look now, but I think you recently acquired a someone.”

Tony’s head cocked the other way. “Would you be willing to do that? For me?”

“I don’t see why not,” Bucky said. “But-- I mean, you gotta get tired of moving from home to home all the time. Just settle in somewhere, maybe make a nest, gather all your stuff in one spot. It might take time to find the perfect place, but it probably beats getting attacked by drunk idiots with swords all the time--”

“Speaking of which,” Tony interrupted, his curious expression morphing into a scowl. He pulled the nightdress off and tossed it at Bucky. “Hold that.” He took several steps forward and stretched, shifting as he went. Bucky was startled all over again at Tony’s sheer size. “Someone’s decided to come avenge you.” He nudged Bucky to one side, very gently considering how massive he was, and put himself between Bucky and the entrance they’d come in through.

“Who the--” Bucky started, then groaned. “ _Steve_. Of course. Wait, wait, _wait_ , hang on, no smashing, can--” he ducked and crabbed across the cavern floor, moving around Tony’s leg like it was just an obstacle. 

Tony lowered his head to be level with the incoming intruders. “Who dares disturb my rest?” he growled.

“Okay, now you just sound silly,” Bucky complained. “Are you even _trying_? Who is it?”

It was, in fact, Steve. Which was not a surprise. Nor was the fact that he’d actually dragged his father’s sword all the way up the damn mountain, even though it was bigger than he was. Bucky would be surprised if Steve could actually swing it, now that he had it up here.

What was a shock was that Sam and Natasha, Clint and Wanda and Pietro were all behind Steve and all of them were armed to the teeth. Probably with weapons and armor they’d stolen from Pierce, and oh, Gods, this was trouble--

“Bucky!” Steve gasped. “You’re still alive!” He heaved the sword up. “Let him go, foul monster!”

Tony’s head swiveled around to look at Bucky. “You see what I mean about people being rude?”

“Hey, woah, _woah_ ,” Bucky said, putting himself between sharp pointy things and Tony’s face. “No stabbing my dragon.” That was… probably not the best plan he’d ever come up with, because that sword weighed more than Steve did and he was about to drop it on Bucky’s foot.

“I am not _your dragon_ ,” Tony said testily, “you are _my human_. Who are these people?” He reached over Bucky’s head and plucked the sword from Steve’s grasp with two claws that were as long as Bucky’s forearm.

“Hey Steve,” Bucky said, as if he was apologizing. “These are my friends. Which means, by default, if they _stop being rude_ immediately, they can be your friends. Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, the Maximoff twins. And Steve Rogers. This is… um. Tony.” 

“That’s not a very impressive name for a dragon,” Natasha commented, fingering her knife’s edge.

“Only you, man,” Sam complained. “Only you would decide to _make friends_ with the dragon who’s about to eat you.”

“My full name is not pronounceable by human mouths,” Tony informed Natasha. He sat back on his haunches, though, and considered the group. “This is a problem. I can’t let you all go back to the village, now.”

“It-- it doesn’t have to be a problem,” Bucky said, thinking fast. “You said you like venison, right? Clint, go bag us a deer. Pietro, go with him. Wanda, herbs, coltsfoot, some root vegetables. Sam, Nat, firewood? We’ll make up a nice dinner and talk this out. Guys-- _trust me_.”

He grabbed Steve’s collar as Steve attempted to follow the rest of the group. “Not you. You I don’t trust to not do something stupid. Stupider. What the hell were you _thinking_?”

“Obviously, he’s thinking that no one else should have to die to appease the evil beast, blah blah blah,” Tony said. “Heroic types are so predictable.”

“Pretty sure the evil beast is at the other end of that road,” Bucky said. “I mean -- aside from the whole throwing me in prison and chaining me to a pole -- do I look like I was dressed up to be _dinner_? And--” He waved the nightie around. “If you were doing what people _think_ you’re doing, that’s evil. But--”

“You look like a snack to me,” Tony said, and Bucky couldn’t interpret the reptilian features well enough to decide if he was leering or just smiling and making a joke about Bucky’s size.

“We don’t have the resources to take out Pierce,” Steve said. “But this--”

“If you say monster one more time,” Bucky scowled. “Tony’s been nothing but hospitable, kind. _Concerned_. A friend. If he’d wanted to eat me, I’d already be dead. If-- he wanted other things, it’s not like I could stop him. Mostly he just thinks I’m funny.”

“And interesting,” Tony added. “Are your friends interesting, too?”

“Steve’s more of a portable disaster on legs,” Bucky teased. “But he’s also an artist. Clint is the best hunter we have. Wanda’s good with herbs and medicine, and her brother runs messages and knows how to brew pretty good beer. Among other skills, Nat’s a good weaver, and Sam and I were in the guard together, before-- Pierce happened.”

Tony hummed. “Do any of them know how to take care of sheep?”

“Pietro’s done a season with the herds,” Bucky said. “An’ me. We can make it work; you’d have all the help you needed.”

“Bucky--” Steve hissed, jerking on Bucky’s wrist. How he hissed on a name with no sibilants in it, Bucky had no idea, it was just a talent that Steve had. “ _What are you doing_?”

“Stop that,” Bucky said. “I’m trying to save all of our collective asses. You think Pierce was going to just let you slay a dragon-- even if you could have managed it, what was your plan, then?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I _know_ Pierce was hoping the dragon would eat the rest of us, too,” he said. “I’m not stupid. I figured, if we survived... a dragon’s hoard would buy good weapons and armor and soldiers, and they say dragonhide is impenetrable.”

Tony snorted, and shrank back into a human. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

Bucky yelped, “you need _pants_.” He kept the nightie balled up against his chest, and went to the campfire, grabbing one of the blankets. “ _Here_.” He tucked it around Tony’s shoulder and waist, toga-style.

Tony looked down at it. “This isn’t as soft. Or as pretty.” 

Privately, Bucky agreed. “Different occasions require different clothes. If you’re going to walk around like that a lot, I’ll see about getting you a silk caftan or something.” He glanced at Tony. “You think it’ll work? We can make it work out, right? No one has to get stabbed or eaten or forcibly relocated.”

“Maybe,” Tony allowed. “If your friends agree.” He hesitated. “Can we have cows, too?”

“Yes, we can have some cows. I even know how to make cheese,” Bucky promised. “We’ll have to trade some of your gold to get started, but not too much.”

Tony glanced at his hoard nervously. “How much?”

Bucky cupped his hands. “Maybe this much to start. Then we can sell excess, earn it back.”

“Hmm. Okay, we can try it.”

“Buck. Are you seriously talking about going into business with a _dragon?_ ”

“I’m talking about a mutually beneficial system. Like… our own village. Just, with a dragon as a member. We provide for him, he protects us. Right?”

“Yes,” Tony agreed. “And you and your friends will not have to live with a headman who is willing to _sacrifice_ one of you every time something goes wrong.”

“It’ll be fine,” Bucky said. “Besides, haven’t you wanted to have our own home, where the roof doesn’t leak?” _Please, Steve-- think about what you’re doing._

“It is a good plan,” Nat said as she came back into the cavern, a bundle of wood in her arms. “Don’t you trust Bucky, Steve?”

“Of course I trust Bucky!” Steve said hotly.

“Great,” Bucky said. He put his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “You trust me. I trust Tony. We’ll have dinner, talk it over. I think I know a good place to start looking for our new home.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tisfan August Flash Bingo Card 020 - Blueberry  
> BuckyBarnesBingo - B2 - Nesting  
> StarkBucksbingo - G5 - fairytale au 
> 
> 27dragons August Flash Bingo Card 020 - Blueberry  
> BuckyBarnesBingo - C3 - FREE  
> StarkBucksBingo - I1 - “If I die, I’m haunting you”

“I saw it,” the human Bucky was saying, using his hands to describe the landscape, “when we did that campaign in ogre territory. No one can get there now, we caused a landslide to crush the ogre army, but it made the whole mountain pretty much inaccessible to humans. There’s a good plateau about halfway up the mountain, we wouldn’t even have to fence that much off to keep our herd where we put it. Loads of woods, fruit trees, blueberry bushes. It’s about two weeks walk from here, but I bet Tony could fly there faster.”

“Which direction?” Tony wondered. “And if it’s inaccessible, how do we get the sheep up there?”

“We can clear the landslide, enough to let a small group in and out. And if people get interested in invading, it’s not like there’s a shortage of rock,” Bucky said.

“Aw, shoveling, no,” Clint complained. “I’m not a miner.”

Tony scoffed. “Clearing rocks, I can do easily. We can take a look. I need a cave in the mountain.”

“We can do that,” Bucky said. “I mean-- you can. Do… that. It’s not like I can throw a saddle on you. Meanwhile, we can pack up your cave. If you leave anything behind-- Pierce is going to be swarming your cave like the locusts I told you about earlier. As soon as he thinks it’s safe, and he’ll strip this place down.”

“Then while I am investigating, I will devise some traps for him to discover. Will one of you come with me, to evaluate from a human perspective?”

The entire group of humans stopped and, as if operating on a hive mind like ants, looked at Bucky. “Yeah, I’m… yeah, that’s good, I’m good with that. Sam, you’re in charge while I’m gone, okay?” 

The little human, Steve, could have glared a hole in Bucky’s back, but Bucky wasn’t looking.

Tony wondered if they were mates. Or, perhaps, _had been_.

Or maybe Steve just didn’t trust Tony. That was probably fair, given the way they’d met.

It didn’t matter, anyway. Tony shifted and lowered his head nearly to the ground. “You will need to sit on my neck,” he said, “and hold on very tightly.”

“Pants,” Bucky muttered. “First opportunity I get.” Gingerly, he climbed up onto Tony’s neck, securing himself between two of his ridges, “I won’t hurt you if I squeeze?”

“Unlikely,” Tony said. All but impossible, really; a dragon’s throat was much thicker and stronger than a human’s, to protect the soft parts from the flames. “It will be fine.”

“Okay,” Bucky said. “I don’t want to hurt you.” He leaned forward as much as he could. “I-- your scales are very soft. Like leather, really. I don’t know why I thought they’d be sharp.”

“Thank you,” Tony said, preening just a little. He was very proud of his scales. “Hold tight. It will be a bit jarring until we’re aloft.” He made sure the other humans were far enough away -- so delicate, a clap of his wings could knock them over, and these were Bucky’s friends. He shouldn’t hurt them. He felt Bucky’s legs tighten around his neck, Bucky’s hands clenching to the ridge, and he launched himself skyward, following the twisted path that let him out of the mountain top.

Bucky cursed. “If I die, I’m haunting you!” he swore.

“I will not let you die.” Tony was very _aware_ of Bucky hanging on, almost frightened, lest the human fall, but they cleared the entrance without mishap, and from there, Tony could manage a smoother glide. “Are you okay?”

“This--” Bucky gulped, then, settling himself against Tony’s neck, “-- is the most _amazing_ thing I’ve ever done.”

That was... good, right? Humans liked _amazing_ things. Tony wanted Bucky to be happy, to feel good. Better still if he could feel good _with Tony_. Maybe then, Bucky would tell Tony why it would be the right time for him to wear the _special occasion_ clothes, for them to mate, if Bucky wanted it.

For now, though, they had to find a home. “Which way?” Tony asked again, circling lazily.

“North-west, across the river,” Bucky said, “and past the paper birch grove, do you know it?”

“I think so,” Tony said. “Hold tight.” He banked around northwest and then drove hard, putting on speed. The river and then the birch grove, that wasn’t a terribly long flight, though he could see how it would take time for a human, confined to legs and unable to simply fly over mountains and rivers.

“There,” Bucky said after some time. “See the cliff there? There rockslide’s just down, and then-- yeah, okay--” Bucky yelped just a bit as Tony banked, carried upward on a spiral of warm air.

“I would not let you fall,” Tony promised again. Or at least, if Bucky fell, Tony would not let him _land_ , which was the damaging part. He dropped low over the rockslide, but didn’t see any rocks that might be difficult to shift. From there, the slope led upward fairly sharply to the promised plateau. It looked like there had once been a mountain here, but somehow the top of it had been lopped off. The plateau was covered in tall grass on one side and thick forest on the rim, and the back of it rose into another mountain.

The mountain looked promising, rocky and wide, not as tall as some of the other mountains nearby, but sturdy. Tony landed on the flat plateau as gently as he could. “You look around,” he told Bucky. “I will examine the mountain.”

Bucky slid off Tony’s neck, and then, with blatant disregard for Tony’s sharp teeth, threw his arms around Tony’s snout and rested his head against the scales there. “Thank you. That… that was incredible.”

A human thing, maybe? It was nice, this close touch. Tony couldn’t exactly put his arms around Bucky, not like this. Not without the risk of crushing Bucky or spearing him with a claw. “You are most welcome,” Tony said. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” The last time he’d carried a human, they had been more terrified than awestruck.

“All right, then,” Bucky said, glancing up at the sun. “Meet back here in about-- two hours? That give you enough time?”

“Probably,” Tony said. “Two hours, then.” He nudged Bucky carefully with his snout, then took off again to circle the mountain and test it for suitable caves.

Tony was entirely aware, the whole time he circled the mountain until the plateau was out of sight, that Bucky stood there, watching him fly away, eyes shaded against the sun. And then he was around the far side of the mountain, seeking those secret accesses.

Tony banked until he round a relatively clear spot and opened up his lungs for a full roar, letting it rattle the rock and whisper to him of the quiet places within. There was at least one cavern system, he thought, from the timbre of the echo. That was a good start. He could create a passageway if he had to, and expand the chambers, but carving a new cavern out of solid rock was a chancy endeavor; only dwarves could truly feel the pressures of the rock and know the best places to dig.

He let out a lesser roar, feeling the surface of the mountain, seeking the natural crevices that could be exploited. There were a few, though he would have to explore more thoroughly to determine if they led to the same system, or could be connected. One of them was nearly big enough for his draconic body, which was nice. A few blasts of his hottest fire would widen the tunnel and smooth the jagged edges that might damage his wings. 

An excellent site, all told. At least for dragons. Tony checked the sun and made his way back over the mountain to the plateau in search of Bucky.

Bucky waved to him from a clump of bushes alongside the mountain. “You’re very loud,” he joked when Tony landed. “I think you frightened sheep at least ten miles away. If I didn’t know it was you, I might have been terrified.” He winked at Tony, then held out a hand, cupping a palmful of fat berries. “Want some?”

Tony peered at them. “I... guess?” He didn’t eat a lot of plants. He gingerly selected one and put it in his mouth. It was... different. A little bit sour? And kind of sweet, too. He tried another one. This one was sweeter. “That, I like that.” He picked out two more. “They’re not very filling.”

“Well, you have to pick a lot of them. There’s wild blueberries -- you can make those into pie or jelly -- a couple of huckleberry trees, and I thought I saw some tubers. Means the soil’s probably good for putting in a small garden. Wouldn’t need to be too much, given that it’s just six of us and one dragon. Sheep can graze out over the plateau here, and drink from the stream. We’ll want to fence off the cliff, otherwise they’ll just run off the edge every time you decide to stretch your wings. How often do you eat a whole sheep?”

“Once or twice a moon,” Tony said. “More if I’m having to use a lot of fire. I didn’t think to warn you about the call. I’m sorry.” He didn’t want to frighten Bucky.

“All right,” Bucky said. He found a stick and started making marks on the ground. “Let’s say thirty sheep in a year. Healthy sheep will drop one to three lambs twice a year and they take about half a year to grow up.” He glanced up at the field again. “There’s a good amount of pasturing here. We can trade the wool and any unneeded rams… It could work.”

Tony ran the numbers, considering. “Don’t forget that you and the others will need meat as well,” he pointed out. “Maybe we can come up with a marking system so I can identify the ones that would be best to cull. The ones who aren’t breeding well, or who are too old. Rams who are overly troublesome.” He considered it again, and nodded. “It’s workable, probably. With a dragon on the mountain, you won’t need to worry about wolves getting into the flock.”

He looked around the plateau. “Where will you and the others live?”

“There’s a little sheltered alcove over there with a natural windbreak with the trees, and the mountain behind it’s not too steep, so not a high chance of rockslides. It’d be a good place to put one good-sized lodge. There aren’t so many of us that we’d really need to have a bunch of separate dwellings. Besides, I don’t think any of us are that good at architecture. I know -- _theoretically_ \-- how to make a log cabin.”

Tony considered it. “We’ll want to start very soon, then, so you’re not sleeping outdoors when the winter comes.” Humans felt the cold quite keenly, he knew.

“Yeah, it’ll be all-hands for a while,” Bucky said, nodding. “I don’t-- well, if you were a human, I’d say I don’t want to step on your toes, but I don’t think that would really bother you all that much. I don’t want to-- make assumptions or commit you to anything without your input. So, I guess the question is, aside from general protection and not eating us when pickings get slim, how much are you interested in being involved with our lives? We’ll be neighbors, of course, but how often will I see you--” Bucky’s cheeks went pink again, and he couldn’t seem to look up at Tony.

“We are to be friends, are we not?” Tony lowered his neck until his eyes were level with Bucky’s. “Friends see each other quite often, yes?”

“Yes,” Bucky agreed, “I mean, I am, after all, _your human_. Pretty much at your service, whenever-- yeah. I just don’t want to be in your way, or-- well, maybe I do want to be in your way, but not in any sort of way that annoys you. I don’t know what I’m saying, ignore me.”

“I find it very difficult to ignore you,” Tony said. “Even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. Do you--” He checked the sun; they had enough time to make it back, if not by sundown, then not too long afterward. He spread his wings and pushed the shift through his body, shrinking down to Bucky’s size. “Is it easier to talk to me when I look more like you? You seem very... agitated.”

“You know you affect me, no matter what you look like,” Bucky said. “Also, you’re naked again. That’s really distracting.” He laughed, skin going even pinker. “You’re like some sort of crazy dream, I can’t really believe any of this is real, except that I don’t think I could make you up.”

Tony looked down at himself. “I will have to work harder at remembering that nakedness bothers humans. But I am real.”

“Don’t _bother_ me,” Bucky said. “Well, not when it’s just _us_. Makes me feel like I oughta do somethin’ about it.”

Tony blinked at him. “What would you do?”

“I am answering your question, so please don’t bite me,” Bucky said, and then he leaned in, put his hand on Tony’s chin. “This-- is what I would do.” He touched his lips very gently to Tony’s.

That... was a very odd sensation. But pleasant, and when Bucky pulled away, Tony found himself swaying forward, seeking to prolong the moment. “I like that,” he said. “Being naked makes you want to do that?”

“Among other things,” Bucky admitted, “and you know, it’s directed. At you. Just you being naked. Nat being naked I’d just turn around, and if Sam was naked, I might have to run away. Because you’re so beautiful, you know. And I like you. And I’m your sacrifice.”

“You’re not really my sacrifice,” Tony said. “That’s what those other people wanted to think.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” Bucky said. “From another point of view, you saved my life. I owe you my life-- and this new life you’re giving me. There’s only so many times the gods have to hit me on the head and say ‘you belong together’ before I start to believe them.”

Tony considered that. “Did the gods try to bring us together before? I don’t remember seeing you before.”

“Twice is plenty,” Bucky said. “I don’t think I can handle another instance. Do-- do you feel differently? I mean, do you want me to… go?”

“No!” A strange sort of fear surged at the thought. He’d only just met this human, but he didn’t want for Bucky to leave him. “No. I want you to stay. I like you. I liked the--” He touched his fingers to his lips, not knowing the word. They were so sensitive. Dragons didn’t really have lips, not like this.

“--kiss,” Bucky said. “It’s called a kiss. There’s magic in kisses, you know.”

“Is there?” Tony frowned. He was usually very sensitive to magic, but he hadn’t noticed any when Bucky had given him the kiss.

“They break curses, as well as seal promises,” Bucky said. “Many things start and end with a kiss; marriage vows, kiss of life, kiss of death. Versatile things, kisses.”

Tony hummed. A kiss breaking a curse wasn’t magic in the kiss, he was pretty sure. Just something that interrupted the magic that made the curse, for whatever reason. “Are you under a curse that needs to be broken?” Tony wondered aloud, teasing a little.

“Only if I am, in fact, making a complete fool of myself, here,” Bucky said, squirming a little under the force of Tony’s gaze.

“I don’t know how you could be making a fool of yourself,” Tony said. “We’re the only ones here. And my knowledge of humans is... limited.”

“Yours is the only opinion that matters, right now,” Bucky said. He picked up Tony’s hand that he’d had pressed to his mouth. “So, if I like kissing you, and you like being kissed, is it all right if I do it again?” He touched his own lips to Tony’s fingertips, right where he’d brushed his mouth. 

Tony was a little startled at how that felt, too. He hadn’t spent a lot of time in this shape before. Humans were much more sensitive than dragons, it seemed, and the look in Bucky’s eyes, the sensation of Bucky’s mouth on his fingers, was causing some sort of reaction in his belly, low and warm and wriggling like a new-hatched clutch. “Yes,” Tony said. “Show me more of this magic.”

Bucky kept hold of Tony’s hand, but he leaned in, brushed his mouth over Tony’s, once, twice, then his tongue flicked out and tasted the soft crease of Tony’s lip. “Open your mouth,” Bucky said. “It’s nice.”

What was nice? Tony wondered, but Bucky had been honest and right so far. The instant his lips parted, Bucky’s tongue swept in and... Tony didn’t know about _nice_ , but that warm wriggling feeling got stronger, and Tony decided he liked _that_.

It was a slow, gentle invasion, and gingerly, not sure what he was doing, but willing to learn, Tony mimicked Bucky’s movement, and was rewarded with Bucky making some sound, urgent and soft, needy. It was somehow _thrilling_ , like flying.

After a bit, Bucky pulled back, breathing harder. He studied Tony’s face, as if trying to read his expression. “Did you-- like that?”

Tony nodded. “I like it. I like that you like it. What else can we do?”

Bucky laughed, looking delighted. “Many, _many_ things,” he promised. He touched Tony’s face, stroking Tony’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “I can touch you-- it seems like when you’re in a body like mine, you find the same things pleasing that I do. But let me know if you don’t like it.”

His hand went lower, stroking Tony’s throat, down his shoulder. He leaned in, kissed Tony again, while he touched him, pulled him closer. 

Bucky’s skin felt nice against his, cool and smooth, and the way his hand moved felt so good, like being petted but better, warmer, and the way Bucky pressed against him-- “Oh!” Tony pulled away to look down at his body. And Bucky’s, which was doing the same thing. It felt like-- “This is a mating thing!”

There was a rush of cool air between them as Bucky leaned back. “Um. Yes. Pre-mating, I guess you could call it. I mean… it’s not likely to lead to… young. Humans engage in mating behavior just because they like to.”

“Interesting.” Tony touched his lips again, then touched Bucky’s, feeling along the rim of them. “If it feels like this, I can see why.”

“We do, because it feels good. And because it shows we care about someone. It’s… it’s special,” Bucky said.

Tony gasped. “Is that what you meant when you said those clothes were for special occasions?”

“Yes,” Bucky said. “They’re… for pre-mating play, or for after the joining ceremony. Special. Just to be shared between two people who care about the other.”

“I understand.” That was why Bucky hadn’t given Tony the clothes back when his friends had arrived. “You will have to teach me many things,” Tony admitted, “if I am to visit you and your friends often.”

“And you will have to tell me,” Bucky said, “when I step too far. I-- don’t want to make you unhappy with me.”

That wasn’t very unusual. Very few people wanted a dragon to be unhappy with them. But Tony didn’t think that Bucky was afraid of him. Bucky didn’t want to make Tony unhappy simply because Bucky _wanted Tony to be happy_. That single fact, alone, made Bucky the most precious thing in Tony’s life.

“I will tell you,” Tony promised, and then grinned. “Or maybe I will just eat you.”

“In this particular form, with the discussion that we’ve been having, that means _something else entirely_ ,” Bucky said, not seeming particularly worried about being devoured.

“Does it?” Tony stepped close to Bucky again. “What does it mean? Is it more kissing?”

“It means putting my mouth--” Bucky ran one finger down Tony’s body, stopping just above his groin. “--here. Although generally teeth are discouraged.” 

Well, that was... a little like kissing. Maybe. “Will you show me?”

“Greedy, impatient,” Bucky teased. “I’d love to.” He dropped down to one knee and touched his mouth to the skin just over Tony’s hip, tongue wet and slick and warm.

“Oh, that’s...” It made Tony feel like squirming, wriggling, even if this spine wasn’t at all flexible. “I like that.”

Bucky mumbled something against Tony’s skin, and then he moved, running his fingers along Tony’s human body’s prick. “I see that you do--”

That sensation wasn’t _entirely_ strange, not altogether unlike mating as a dragon -- but still different, lighter and less frantic. Tony groaned, low in his throat. “Bucky, oh...”

“I could get used to your casual nudity,” Bucky said, looking up, his hand moving, not quite squeezing, but gliding up and down. “Makes things a lot faster.”

Did that mean Bucky would want to do this _again_? “You aren’t naked,” Tony pointed out, even as he shivered and shuddered at the feelings Bucky was creating in him.

“A loincloth’s not much,” Bucky said. “I’ll show you how to take it off me. After.”

And before Tony could ask _after what,_ Bucky showed him just what he meant by being _eaten--_ Bucky took most of Tony’s prick into his mouth, licking, tasting, sucking. It was like being lost in a whirlwind of sensation, heat and friction and glide all at once.

Tony cried out and nearly lost his balance -- stupid two legs. He had to clutch at Bucky’s shoulders to keep from tipping over, and the more Bucky did, the more Tony was certain he was going to fall over. The more he wasn’t sure he even cared, as long as it _didn’t stop_.

Somehow-- Tony wasn’t sure what Bucky did, or how, but it was _glorious_ , and it reached the same sort of crescendo as a dragon’s mating flight, just as they reached the bottom of their fall, and the dominant dragon would catch them, wings spread, crying out with pleasure, before reaching the safety and bliss of laying on the ground together, necks and tails twined together, half laying on, half laying under, one’s partner.

Tony found himself in a not-dissimilar situation, limbs tangled with Bucky’s as they sprawled on the grass. “Oh, that was... Oh. Thank you.”

Bucky spluttered, laughing. “I don’t think I’ve ever been thanked for that, before.”

“Well, you should be,” Tony said, indignant. “It’s a very nice thing to do.”

“Yes, it is,” Bucky agreed. “I liked doing it for you. You were very beautiful. And vocal. In your pleasure.” He traced a finger lightly over Tony’s belly, watching with amusement as his muscles tensed and relaxed.

Tony picked up Bucky’s hand and kissed the fingers. “Will you show me how to please you, as well?” He sat up to touch Bucky, testing the feel of his chest and shoulders and stomach.

“Works pretty much th’ same,” Bucky said. “Here, there’s a knot--” He directed Tony’s hand down to the cloth tied around his waist which seemed to be nothing but a cord holding up a long strip of fabric.

If he had his claws, Tony could have just torn it away, but with human hands, he had to untie it. But it was almost enjoyable, in itself, watching Bucky, the way the pleasure and-- desire? --bloomed across his features.

The cloth fell away to reveal a prick that looked quite similar to Tony’s human one, full and red with need. Tony slipped his fingers over the skin curiously, and was fascinated to find it warm and firm and smooth.

“ _Perfect_ ,” Bucky told him. “You’re a quick study--” He arched up into the touch, hips moving to push at Tony’s hand.

“I am?” Tony was unaccountably cheered by that. He hadn’t even really meant that to be a pleasurable touch, just a brief exploration. But if that was the sort of touch that Bucky liked, then Tony was more than happy to provide it again.

Bucky had been right -- it _was_ enjoyable to watch him move in response to Tony’s touches, to hear the soft gasps and groans. Tony drank in those sights and sounds, letting his explorations grow bolder.

And then Bucky had... Tony leaned over to lick cautiously at Bucky’s prick. It tasted like skin, with a hint of salt and bitterness that made Tony’s mouth water.

“Oh-- oh, Tony!” Bucky speared his hand into Tony’s hair, not quite gripping hard enough to hurt. Humans and their _hair_ were often decidedly weird. “Yeah, that’s… that’s good, please--”

Good, that was... that was good. Tony did it again, and then tried pulling the whole thing into his mouth. It felt bigger than it seemed it should, but the sound Bucky made was so perfectly beautiful, Tony kept going, wanting to hear it again.

Bucky’s hand tightened in Tony’s hair, and then he arched again, crying out and-- well, Tony supposed that was what happened, with a climax. Dragons left their own semen behind after mating, so it made sense, he just wasn’t quite sure he’d thought far enough ahead to realize that, in this particular case, it was going to end up in his mouth.

He managed to pull away and replace his mouth with his hand, spitting the stuff into the grass nearby. It didn’t taste _terrible_ , but it wasn’t exactly fresh deer or blueberries, either. Bucky was still beautiful, though, so obviously lost to the moment of his pleasure, so trusting and vulnerable. Tony couldn’t resist leaning in to scatter kisses along Bucky’s jaw, wanting just to be closer, to breathe in the same air.

“Mmm,” Bucky hummed, settling one arm around Tony’s shoulders, all but dozing. “I could get used to being a dragon sacrifice.” He opened one eye. “Just yours, though. I’m not a complete floozy.”

“As if I would allow another dragon within a mile of such a sweet sacrifice,” Tony returned. “You’re mine, now.”

**Author's Note:**

> so, this is complete and utter crack. just go with it.


End file.
